Now wounds can be healed by a nanochip – TNT technique

Researchers at Ohio State University have developed a new device that can regrow and heal damaged tissues and wounds. This can be done simply by applying a penny sized pad on the patient skin. It involves a nanotechnology-based chip. An intense, focused electric field is then applied across the device which transferred the genes to the patient skin. Skin cells are then converted into the building block cell of any other body part such as arteries, or even organs like the heart. This non-invasive technique of regrowing cells is named as tissue nano transfection (TNT).

By using our novel nanochip technology, injured or compromised organs can be replaced

said Chandan Sen, from the Ohio State University, who co-led the study.

“We have shown that skin is a fertile land where we can grow the elements of any organ that is declining.”

He further added.

TNT proves as a breakthrough for people who are in need of complex reconstructive surgery, as well as those whose organs are prematurely ageing. TNT can be used to treat the neural disorder such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. It can develop any type of cells a person needs such as neural, vascular or a stem cell.

This process only takes less than a second and is non-invasive. said Chandan Sen

You can change the fate of cells by incorporating into them some new genes. Basically you can take a skin cell and put some genes into them, and they become another cell, for example a neuron, or a vascular cell, or a stem cell.

said Dr Axel Behrens, an expert in stem cell research from the Francis Crick Institute in London. He is not a part of this TNT research.

Testing of TNT device

Though this technique hasn’t been tested on human directly. Researchers had tested the technique on mice with injured legs. Their arteries had been cut and there is no flow of blood in limbs. TNT is then put on the skin and electric field is applied allowing the gene to enter into the skin. As a result, researchers were able to convert skin cells directly into the vascular cells.

“Seven days later we saw new vessels and 14 days later we saw [blood flow] through the whole leg.

told by Dr. Sen.

Sen and his colleagues say they are are hoping to develop the technique further, with plans to start clinical trials in humans next year.